Writers in Action - Barrie Cassidy

Barrie Cassidy with ABC radio presenter Gaye Pattison

I've just come from my very first event of Write Around the Murray (Albury Writers' Festival), and what a treat it was.

The undisputed doyen of Australian political journalism, Barrie Cassidy, was live in conversation with local ABC radio presenter Gaye Pattison and it was an absolute gift. 

Not only did Barrie spill the beans on his almost 40-year career as a political journalist (with a stint as press secretary for Bob Hawke - no less) but he also shared his incredible family story of a long-lost sibling - a secret his mother kept for 50 years. 

Barrie was generous in revealing the pain of his mother and father's story and spoke with compassion and integrity about how this affected his family. He also shared that all-too-familiar story of attempting to draw out a father's (or mother's) harrowing war-time experience and then deciding what do with this knowledge. As journalist he felt compelled to document this story and his sensitivity and emotional awareness during this process with his family was heart warming to hear.

The conversation then turned its attention to politics and Barrie ramped things up, with a sparkle in his eye, when discussing the politics of the day and thrived on questions regarding the intricacies of the political world he knows oh so well.

It veered from his humble beginnings as a political scribe in Melbourne, to taking a job with the prime minister because he 'liked him as a person', to the Age of Entitlement debate - with a scoop thrown in about the just-in news of disgraced Labour front bencher, Sam Dastyari handing in his resignation. Once a journo, always a journo!

Barrie described himself as a bridge builder when it came to his career and appears unstained by the often-dirty world of politics.

He gave a few pollies a good kicking, but without venom and spoke in truths about hard-working politicians with high values and morals, and the greedy ones who let the stupid, little things trip them up.

He spoke with sadness about the daily-event politics of the day and on his conscious (and very pleasing) decision to base himself in Melbourne and not in Canberra - away from it all.

Regardless of your political views or where you stand when it comes to the Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin scenario or Malcolm Turnbull's destiny, listening to Barrie Cassidy was like taking a very pleasant walk in the park, accompanied by a few moments of reflection and more than a couple of good-sized belly laughs, thanks to Christopher Pyne and his colleagues! 

Thanks Barrie, what a way to start Write Around the Murray - I hope you'll be back next year.